Actress Elizabeth Taylor was born in Hampstead, London, England, the second child of Francis Lenn Taylor (December 28, 1897 – November 20, 1968) and Sara Viola Warmbrodt (August 21, 1896 – September 11, 1994), who were Americans residing in England. Her older brother is Howard Taylor (born in 1929).

The American Film Institute named Taylor among the Greatest Female Stars of All Time, ranking at No. 7.